BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Philippine National Police Director General Ricardo Marquez led the activation of the Police Regional Office-18, of the newly created Negros Island Region, in Monday’s ceremonies held at the Bacolod Pavilion Hotel. Marquez directed Chief Superintendent Condrado Capa, appointed officer-in-charge of PRO-18, to “go back to the basics of policing. I’d like to see more policemen on the streets and less in the headquarters,” because it is the essence of police service—to serve and protect—that will not happen if they stay inside their offices.
The PNP chief pointed out that only five percent of the police force should manned the regional and provincial police offices. “The sight of uniformed men (patrolling) on the streets will give confidence and secured environment to the community so they could work confidently and enjoy the fruits of their labors undisturbed and unmolested of any criminal elements.”
The police can better serve the community through patrolling, adding that it will also develop rapport with the community, Marquez said.
The activation of PRO-18 will pose challenges, including the establishment of new headquarters, manpower and equipment, said Marquez as he assured PRO-18 will be fully supported by the PNP national headquarters.
“Do the program of expenditure for the year,” to help the regional work force, Marquez told Capa, whose designation order came out on November 25.
The activation was, however, only a “soft launching,” said Marquez, because the formal inauguration of PRO-18 is scheduled on December 12, together with the opening of interim regional offices of the Department of Interior and Local Government and its attached agencies (Bureau of Fire Protection and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology)
Capa, for his part, said he will focus on eradicating illegal drugs and intensifying the PNP’s anti-criminal campaign, Oplan Lambat Sibat. He will also review election-related criminal incidents in Negros island for the past three years to identify election hotspot areas.
Capa further said he will coordinate with the disaster risk reduction management units of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces, particularly on the unsettling status of Mount Kanlaon, which is still on Alert Level 1.
Capa is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985. Prior to his appointment to PRO-18, he was with the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in the Visayas.
Other officials appointed to the PRO-18 are: Senior Superintendent Valrie Tabian as deputy regional director for administration, Senior Superintendent Leonardo Cesneres as deputy regional director for operations, and Senior Superintendent Mariano Natu-el as regional chief of directorial staff.
At least 4,000 police personnel from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office and the Bacolod City Police Office will compose PRO-18, which however has yet to establish its own headquarters.
The PNP national command has yet to decide whether to house the PRO-18 regional office at the headquarters of the NOPPO or of the BCPO, according to Inspector Dianne Grace Catedral, BCPO public information officer. (FREEMAN)